


This is The Life

by bah0rel



Series: Not Another AU [5]
Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-07-29 15:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16267232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bah0rel/pseuds/bah0rel
Summary: Jamie and Claire had had a difficult relationship, but finally they were happy. They were married and now raising their wee family together.Sequel to Anchor to Hold.





	1. Chapter One

“Fuck you, Fraser! You did this to me!” Claire cried out.

 

“Yes, yes, fuck me.” He agreed, trying not to cry at the grip Claire had on his hands, “come on, Sassenach, you’ve got this!”

 

Claire pushed harder with every contraction, her curls damp with sweat, and her face red with determination.

 

“Come on, Claire, almost there, I can see her wee head! Just one more push and your baby girl will be here!”

 

Claire pushed harder, giving everything she had left just to push her baby girl out. Wails filled the room, causing Jamie to cry also. A smile burst on his face as he saw his baby daughter, she was here and she was okay.

 

“Claire, you did it. We have a gorgeous baby girl.” Jamie sounded amazed; they finally had their baby girl with them.

 

“My baby,” Claire muttered, “give me my baby, please!”

 

Claire had her arms out, waiting for her child. Old fears had resurfaced, she had heard the wails, but what if their new baby hadn’t made it either? She couldn’t cope with that.

 

“Here she is,” the midwife smiled, placing the newborn in Claire’s arms, “ten fingers, and ten toes, healthy in every way.”

 

Claire smiled at her daughter, admiring the beauty of her. She held her happily, rocking her back and forth as she spoke absentmindedly to her. Jamie admired his daughter as he climbed onto the bed next to Claire, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and stroking his newborn’s face carefully.

 

“Jamie,” Claire grinned, “she’s perfect in every way.”

 

“Aye, she is that.” He smiled, still in awe of the baby they had created.

 

“We best get her big brother in to meet her.” Claire spoke softly, still rocking the baby.

 

“Aye, a’ll go phone Mum tae bring him up.”

 

Jamie planted a kiss on Claire’s temple before moving out to the hall to phone his mother, Ellen.

 

A while later, a mop of dark curls came bounding into the room, shouting loudly for his mum.

 

“Mama, mama, mama, mama!”

 

The little boy attached to the mop of curls jumped onto the end of the hospital bed, holding a drawing.

 

“Is that m’little sister, mama?”

 

Claire smiled sweetly at her oldest boy.

 

“Why yes it is, Fergus. This is Brianna, your baby sister.”

 

Fergus looked at the baby in awe.

 

“I made a picture for baby, mama!”

 

He handed his mum his drawing. Claire looked at the drawing, trying to decipher what it was. Claire could somewhat make out three stick figures and a pram. Her three-year-old’s drawing abilities hadn’t fully been mastered, but she didn’t care, he tried and that’s all she could have asked for.

 

“Oh Fergus, it’s beautiful!” Claire held out her arms for a hug from her boy.

 

Fergus clambered up the bed, ignoring the instructions of his Dad to be careful, and hugged his mum tightly. Claire kissed the top of Fergus’s head, wrapping her arms around him.

 

“You not forget me, mama?”

 

“Me? Forget you? How can I forget my gorgeous little boy?” Claire held her oldest close to her chest, hugging him tightly.

 

“Dad no forget me either?” Fergus looked up at his Dad, pouting a little.

 

“Never, wee man. We love ye too much.” Jamie ruffled Fergus’s mop of black curls.

 

Fergus grinned from ear to ear, snuggling in as close as he could to his mum.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“Happy honeymoon, Mrs. Fraser.” Jamie smiled, kissing Claire’s lips softly._

_“Mmmm, happy honeymoon, Mr. Fraser.”_

_Claire relaxed between Jamie’s legs, her back resting against his chest as they looked out the tall hotel-room windows that gave an incredible view of the Paris streets below. She slowly ate the chocolate strawberries that had been put out in their room as part of the honeymoon package. Jamie had his arms wrapped round Claire’s waist, his face nestled between her shoulder and neck, admiring the view he had of her, and Paris, he supposed._

_Jamie had been the one to choose Paris for their honeymoon destination. It was a lot more intimate and romantic compared to a honeymoon in Spain or wherever. That, and Jamie had also planned to take Claire to Disneyland, somewhere she had been desperate to go to since she was a child and Jamie wanted to be the one to take her there, all to her surprise._

_“Mm, I can’t believe the deal we got on this room.” Claire grinned, “good view, comfy and non-squeaky bed. But I suppose, the best part is that I’m with you.”_

_Jamie kissed Claire’s neck, humming in agreement. His hand carefully slipped between her legs to begin rubbing against her clit, something he had realised she loved. Claire wriggled a little bit, leaning into his touch a bit more. She let out a soft moan of delight as Jamie continued to play with her clit. Jamie began to tease her, pulling his hand away every so often to listen to her moans of desperation. With every moan, he smirked and kissed at her neck a little more, resuming his work. He continued to rub at her clit until she came; quiet moans left her lips as she smiled at her husband, somewhat sleepily._

_“You do know how to make a girl cum, eh?” She kissed him softly, feeling the smirk against his lips._

_“Aye, ah do, Sassenach. And don’t you forget it.”_

_“Not likely.”_

_Later that day, Jamie and Claire decided to take a wander around the streets of Paris, determined to take in the culture. They had people they both wished to visit while in the city, one being Jamie’s cousin Jared who hadn’t been able to make it to the wedding due to business and the other was one of Claire’s lecturers who had moved back to France to do some volunteering at a charity hospital._

_They had begun by going to see Jared Fraser, a successful wine merchant based in Paris. Jamie hadn’t seen him in a few years, despite being in constant contact due to their close upbringing. Meeting Jared had been relatively uneventful, save for a few glasses of wine and a good catch up between cousins. Claire had definitely been charmed by her husband’s cousin and definitely understood why they were close._

_Next on the agenda was to visit Claire’s former lecturer, someone she had grown fond of during her years in training. Prior to her teaching, Doctor Hildegard had been Mother Hildegard, but had renounced her vows due to her higher calling of wishing to heal the sick. Claire was over the moon to be able to visit her and see the charity hospital. The idea of volunteering in a charity hospital fascinated her, but there weren’t many in Scotland, if any at all, and she wasn’t prepared to uproot Jamie away from Scotland and couldn’t leave him either. Jamie could hide that he was at least slightly interested about seeing Claire’s, shall we say, idol and upon meeting her, he could see why._

_Doctor Hildegard took the couple on a tour around the hospital, allowing Claire to see the difference between the Scottish hospital and the French charity one. Claire appeared to be fascinated by everything around her, truly taking in everything that was being shown to her._

_“And this is ze children’s ward.” Doctor Hildegard directed them in, showing Claire the limited technology. In a cot by the window lay a new born baby boy, crying out his lungs._

_Instinct kicked in and Claire moved to pick up the boy to calm him, almost instantly, his cries subsided, leaving him hiccuping a bit._

_“There, there. What was all that racket about?” Claire rocked the little boy carefully, calming him as much as she could._

_“What’s wrong with him, if ye don’t mind me askin’?” Jamie looked at Doctor Hildegard curiously._

_“Oh, nothing. We found him left outside just last week, someone must have left him because they either didn’t want him or couldn’t afford him. Which is still an issue in this time.” She smiled sadly._

_“So he’ll be going to an orphanage?” Claire looked up, her eyes moving to Jamie._

_“Unfortunately, Yes.”_

_Jamie and Claire gave each other a glance, both having an idea as to what the other was thinking._

_Once they got back to the hotel room, they sat in silence for a while, both a little hesitant to broach the subject of the baby boy they had met in the hospital._

_“Jamie,” Claire hesitated, unsure as to how to bring this up to him, “how would you feel…how would you feel if we put in to adopt the little boy? He needs a home and I think we can give him that. An orphanage, or care or whatever it is here, is no place for a newborn.”_

_“Och, Claire, I was going tae ask ye the same thing. Ye just looked so amazing wi’ a bairn in yer arms and the wee man took tae ye so easily…”_

_Claire grinned at Jamie, over the moon that he shared the same sentiments as her._

_The very next day, they went back to the hospital to talk to Doctor Hildegard about adopting the baby boy and bringing him home to Scotland._

_It was a long process, adopting this baby boy, but they managed it. By the time the baby was six months old, he was home with the Frasers in Scotland._

_“Everyone,” Jamie grinned, placing his hand behind his wife’s back as she held their new baby boy in her arms, “meet Fergus Claudel Fraser, the newest addition to our wee clan.”_

_Everyone doted on the baby boy, Ellen and Brian especially. They had supported the couple during the adoption process, accompanying them on trips over to Paris to see the baby and supporting them financially, should they need it._

_Jamie and Claire were the happiest they had been in a long time, in their arms they held their baby boy, their second child together. And it was clear this boy was loved dearly._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

“Claire! Am home!” Jamie called from the back door.

 

He kicked off his shoes and set them on the shoe rack, and hanging his keys up on the little home shaped key holder.

 

“Daddy!” Little Fergus came bounding into the kitchen from where he was in the living room.

 

Jamie bent down and lifted him up, throwing him in the air and catching him before resting him on his hip.

 

“Where’s Mummy, Fergus?”

 

“She seepin’! Her and baby are seepin’!”

 

“Oh, aye? Were ye takin’ good care of Mummy and Brianna?”

 

Fergus nodded, his dark curls bouncing and his little thumb quickly placed in his mouth.

 

Jamie walked through to the living room; Fergus still perched on his hip. They were greeted with the sight of Claire fast asleep on the sofa, with little Brianna curled up on her chest. Jamie put Fergus down carefully and ruffling his curls before slowly lifting Brianna from Claire’s chest and cuddling her close to his chest.

 

“Claire, love,” Jamie called, trying not to wake Brianna, “Claire?”

 

Claire mumbled a little, waking up slowly before jolting upright in a panic.

 

“My baby!? Where’s my baby!?”

 

“Claire, dinna worry, ah’ve got her!” Jamie smiled softly, sitting down on the sofa next to her.

 

Claire relaxed, smiling at her husband holding their baby.

 

“Fergus,” Claire called for her boy, “come give mum some cuddles?”

 

Without hesitation, Fergus climbed on top of his mum, a sweet grin on his face as he cuddled in to her. Protectively, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

 

“Ma Da’ would have loved to have seen this sight.” Jamie’s smile turned a little sad.

 

“Well, he’s up with Faith, watching down on us. I can promise you that, Fraser.” Claire gave Jamie a soft kiss, before kissing Fergus’s mop of curls too.

 

“Granda’ wif Faif?” Fergus looked up at his parents.

 

“Aye, son. Granda’ is wi’ yer big sister.”

 

“I miss Granda’.” Fergus pouted, curling into his mum.

 

“Me too, kid, me too.” Jamie moved his spare hand to soothe his boy.

 

The Fraser clan sat there for a short while, just enjoying each other’s company, Jamie trying not to blub at the thought of his dad missing out on their new child.

 

A lot had happened in the past few years, but it certainly wasn’t anything they would change.

 

Jamie and Claire had their babies now. They were a small and happy family


	2. Chapter Two

”Come on sweetheart, ” Jamie yawned, bouncing a screaming Brianna in his arms, ”Daddy’s here, come on, shhhh.” 

Brianna had been screaming for the past half hour, waking the entire house in the process. Jamie, half-asleep, decided he would get up to see to the baby and allow Claire to settle Fergus down again. 

”Ah know, baby, ah know, those awful teessy pegs are giving you bother, ah know.” 

Jamie continued to rock her as he walked down to the kitchen to make her a bottle and get the emergency bottle of Calpol to soothe her aching gums. Settling down on the sofa, he carefully gave his baby her dose of Calpol before testing the warmth of the bottle. 

”Come on then, mo chridhe.” Jamie mumbled, trying to give her her bottle. 

Brianna started to calm down once she started guzzling from the bottle Jamie held in his hands. After a while, her eyes started to close and the bottle fell limp in his hands. Carefully, Jamie out the bottle down and sat there on the sofa with her. Tiredness took over and his head fell back, his soft snores quietly escaping from the back of his throat. As he slept, his arms held Brianna protectively, determined not to let her go. Jamie had stayed there until morning, both him and his baby girl were cuddled in close to one another. Claire came down, confused about the whereabouts of her husband and daughter. Thankfully, Fergus was still asleep, so she had every chance to savour the moment of Jamie and Brianna curled together. Quickly, she took a quick snap of the sight and put her phone away again. She bent down to kiss her husband’s forehead, running a hand through his soft ginger curls. Once she had done that, she had lifted a sleeping Brianna carefully from his arms, trying not to wake her up as her wails could wake an entire household, and Claire had already had enough of her screaming for one morning. However, trying to pick up the sleeping bairn without her wailing was like trying to handle a grenade once the pin had been pulled. Nerve wracking and near enough impossible. But somehow, Claire had managed. She carefully rocked her baby before putting her down on the play mat that came in her baby box; something both Jamie and Claire felt thankful for. 

Leaving Brianna and Jamie to their naps, Claire quickly went to wake Fergus for his first day back at nursery after the February break. Fergus lay there, his small mouth agape as he snored softly, dark curls splayed across his pillows. Claire smiled sweetly, sitting down on his bed next to him. 

“Fergus,” Claire spoke softly, not wishing to wake her wee boy too harshly, “Fergus, time to get up.” 

Fergus grumbled a little bit, moving his wee hands to rub his eyes as he woke softly. 

“Mama, can’t I just seep a little bit longer?” He pouted, trying to roll over to sleep more. 

“Nope,” Claire moved to pick him up from his bed, “young Mr. Fraser, you have nursery today!”

Fergus pouted more, trying to give his mum the best puppy dog eyes he could possibly muster. Claire smiled softly, putting him down and ruffling his messy curls. 

“Come on, lets go see Daddy and Bree. And…” Claire grinned, “Daddy’s still asleep so you can jump on him to wake him up!” 

Fergus grinned, jumping about in excitement. Claire led her son down to the living room. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, she put her finger to her lips, whispering a soft ‘shh’, Fergus copied her, his ‘shh’ coming out more of a ‘sss’. Claire carefully led Fergus into the living room, letting him tiptoe towards his snoring Da’. Claire held him back a second as she picked up Brianna from her playmat. Brianna looked around inquisitively, her deep blue eyes blinking as she watched her older brother. Claire gave Fergus the go ahead to jump and very quickly, he grinned, climbing onto the sofa and jumping on his dad. Jamie woke with an oof, the wind knocked out of him as his young son landed on him. 

“Dad, Dad, Dad, Daddy! Time to wake up, Daddy!” Fergus giggled, stopping. 

Jamie smiled softly at his son, trying to sit up, despite Fergus still on him. 

“Aye, am up.” Jamie rolled his eyes, grabbing Fergus and tickling his sides. 

Giggles filled the room as Jamie kept on tickling Fergus. Jamie stood up, moving to carry Fergus in a fireman’s lift, chuckling as Fergus wriggled about his Dad’s shoulder. 

“Jamie, love, can you please get Fergus sorted for nursery? It’s eight o’clock so it might need to be quickly dressed then toast and a banana on the move.” Claire smiled, rocking Brianna as she prepared her breakfast bottle.

Jamie nodded, giving his girls a kiss on the head each before turning around and carrying Fergus up to his bedroom. Fergus giggled the entire way up the stairs, his little legs kicking out to wriggle free. Once Jamie had got him upstairs, he was put down on his bed, watching as Jamie pulled out clothes for him to wear to nursery. Quickly, Jamie had him dressed and, in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. As Fergus brushed his teeth, Jamie quickly tied back his own red curls and shoved on a pair of jeans and a hoodie to at least make him look semi-presentable for taking his son to nursery. Fergus quickly came bouncing through to his parents’ room, grinning incredibly at him. 

“Brushed your teeth properly?” Jamie raised an eyebrow at his son, who always brushed too quickly meaning that he often left plaque over his teeth. 

“Yes, I always do, Daddy!” Fergus opened his mouth, trying to prove to Jamie that he had. 

Jamie did a little inspection before nodding in approval. He ruffled the youngers curls and told him to go see his mum and Brianna while he brushed his own teeth. Jamie yawned loudly, creating a Chewbacca-like noise that Claire and the kids could hear downstairs. Claire had always laughed at those types of yawns, and today was no different. Once Jamie had come down the stairs, Claire quickly dived up to change out of her jammies and get Brianna’s bum changed before walking along to the nursery. 

“Dad why do I have to go to nursery?” Fergus looked up at his dad, “why can’t I stay home and work with you?” 

Jamie chuckled, smiling at his son. 

“Well, Fergus, ah don’t think ye’d much appreciate workin’ right now. I think you’d find it a bit boring, workin’ for Uncle Dougal.” 

“Ye, but I really want tae work wi’ ye Daddy!” 

“How about one day, when yer off nursery again, ye come into the office wi’ me to see how borin’ it actually is?”  
“Okay!” Fergus grinned, running ahead with a small skip in his step. 

Jamie and Claire said a quick goodbye to their boy, letting him go into the building alone. They stood there waiting until they knew he was safe, and for a few moments after. Together, they walked home, Brianna gurning in her pram to make herself known. 

Upon getting through the door, Claire kicked off her shoes and pulled Brianna from her pram, placing her once again on the playmat for some tummy time. Jamie and Claire threw themselves on the sofa, letting out a long and tired sigh each. The past couple of months had been exhausting for the pair. Everything for Jamie was either work or kids and for Claire, thanks to her maternity leave, was kids everything. Since they had Brianna in November, Jamie and Claire had barely had any time to themselves, to be the couple they were before Fergus and Bree. Claire leaned into Jamie, curling into his side as he put his arm around her. 

“Is it bad I just want some time together? Away from the kids?” She mumbled. 

Jamie sighed deeply, nodding in agreement. 

“Aye, ah ken that feelin’ Sassenach. Could always ask ma to babysit? We could go intae town and have a date night? Go to Tony Macaroni again?” He smiled softly. 

Claire nodded. She liked the sound of that, a date night just her and Jamie. No kids. No responsibility of getting bottles sorted or lunchboxes packed, her and her husband together at last. Ellen always adored looking after her grandkids, so it definitely would be a win-win situation. 

“I’ll phone ma in a wee bit then, I’m sure she’ll love to help anyway.” 

Claire nodded, yawning loudly, curling further into her husband, trying not to fall asleep in his arms. Jamie’s head fell back, and he began to snooze softly. Brianna started to scream from her spot, causing Jamie and Claire to jolt up, looking for their baby daughter. Brianna started to giggle, knowing exactly what she was doing. Her parents shared a knowing glance before letting out a soft chuckle and joining her on the floor. A few chaps on the door interrupted Jamie and Claire’s play session with baby Brianna. 

“I’ll get it.” Jamie kissed Claire’s temple as he stood up to answer the door. 

Just as Jamie got to the door, the person had let themselves in. Jamie looked confused until he realized that it was his mother, happily popping round for a visit. 

“Hello, son.” She patted Jamie’s cheek with a smile, “I think you need to get that hair cut, you don’t suit it tied back!”

Jamie rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at his mother, “I needed to get it out my face, mam.” 

“Even more reason to chop it!” She grinned, “now, where’s my wee granddaughter!” 

“In here!” Claire called, standing up and holding Bree on her hip, “Look, Bree! It’s nana!” 

Brianna smiled softly, eyes brightening up as her Nana came towards her, desperate for a cuddle. Ellen took Brianna in her arms, lifting her above her head and bringing her back down. 

“Hello, wee yin, how are you today?” 

Brianna just babbled in reply, playing with Ellen’s necklace and trying to put it in her mouth to chew. 

“No, no, sweetie, Nana’s necklace doesn’t taste that good.” Ellen chuckled, placing a soft kiss on Bree’s cheek. 

Jamie and Claire shared a wee glance between each other, almost begging the other to ask the question of “can you baby sit at some point?”. This went back and forth until Jamie finally sighed and asked; 

“Ma,” Jamie cleared his throat, “Claire and I were wonderin’ if ye could babysit at somepoint? We’d like to, uh, go out for a date at some point.” 

“Och, ye didna even need tae ask! Of course I will, mo cridhe, I will always babysit my darling grandkids.” 

Jamie and Claire grinned, sighing with relief. 

“How about I take them for the weekend and let you both relax? I’ve got Maggie and Young Ian too.” Ellen smiled, “I’m sure they’d love to play with their cousins.” 

“Thank you, ma.” Jamie grinned. 

“Now why don’t ye go for a sleep? Ye both look like you’re dead on yer feet, I’ll get Fergus from nursery.” 

“Ugh, Ma, yer a lifesaver.” Jamie kissed his mum and Brianna on the cheek before pulling Claire to their room, both exhausted, and ready for their bed. This would be the best sleep ever, knowing that Ellen was babysitting.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the sequel to Anchor to Hold! Happiness and fluff ensues from here! 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> Jem x


End file.
